Stay The Night
by ZombiesRUs
Summary: Both are too scared to pursue the other, and instead, are hurting each other. How are they going to get past it? With help from a friend? Or are they just going to keep pushing each other away until they can't stand each other?


Stay the Night (Iron Bull)

*Start*

Nia looked across the bar to see Bull flirting with some of the female staff. A sigh left her mouth before she chugged the rest of her drink.

"Krem, I'm going to go for a walk. Probably just go to bed instead of coming back here afterwards." Krem looked at her and frowned.

"Nia just got over there and tell the big idiot to stop." She grimaced and shook her head.

"You know it isn't that easy easy. If I could actually give him what he wants it would be different." She stood up, gave a small smile, and waved goodbye. Once outside she let a single tear fall before making her way to her room.

Krem's POV

Krem watched as Nia walked away sadly. He knew how much both Nia and Bull cared for each other but neither of them realized how much they were both hurting.

"Why can't you both just stop trying to give the other what you think they want." He looked over at Bull and saw his eyes following the female quinary as she left. Krem walked over to him and patted his shoulder.

"Boss you really need to go and have a talk with Nia. You both are just pushing each other away right now."

"Krem the last time I tried she ran away from me. I thought this was what she wanted from me."

"You see her walk out every night, yet you don't see her face like I do. She hurts more and more every night when she sees you with the other women." Bull looked down at Krem and frowned, "Boss have you ever even asked her why she ran away? Or did you just decide that was what she wanted from you?"

"Krem I'm the best at what I do but when it comes to Nia I feel like I'm not myself. So I just assumed and went with what I know from past experiences." Krem shook his head and gave Bull a shove towards the door.

"Stop trying to assume when it comes to Nia, she is scared Boss. She needs to tell you about what happened before you found her." Bull gave Krem a slight nod before starting towards the door. Once Bull had left the building Krem went back to where he had been sitting and started to drink again.

Nia's POV

She walked into her room and began to remove the clothing covering her body. Once she stripped off her shirt she felt the scar that ran from her heart down to her hip. Tears began to fall down her face as she remembered what had caused her scar. As she began to walk towards her bed she heard the door to her room creak open.

"Nia? Are you in here?" Nia looked over her shoulder and saw Bulls hand wrapped around the door.

"Yeah I'm here Bull, just give me a minute." Nia grabbed the light sleeping clothes she had set out and pulled them on, "You can come in Bull." Bull slowly walked into the room closing the door behind him.

"Nia, we need to talk about last month." Nia frowned before taking a seat on her bed. Bull slowly made his way over before also sitting on her bed.

"What did you want to discuss about it?" Bull looked at her before frowning.

"Why you ran away from me. I thought I knew how you felt towards me but after you ran I thought it was the opposite." Nia felt a tear escape and tried to turn away from Bull but she felt his hand on her cheek preventing it. He brushed his thumb across her cheek wiping the tear away. She put her hand on his and leaned into his touch.

"I do want you Bull, I love you with all my heart." Bull's eyes widened and pulled her into his lap. She put both hands on his face as a few more tears fell down her face, "I just cant go past a certain point because I'm scared of what will happen when that occurs."

"But Nia if you don't tell me whats going on in that pretty head of yours I can't help or understand."

"If I begin to tell you, you cannot interrupt. I need to be able to just get the whole story out in one go." Bull nodded and Nia gave him a tearful smile

Past POV

 _Nia walked down the hallway towards her master's room. She was sure she knew what he wanted from her but she wasn't sure she could let it happen anymore. As she got to the door she gave a slight tap._

" _Come on in my lovely lady of the night." Nia frowned but she walked into the room. Her master came towards her and guided her towards the bed. A grimace found its way onto her face as he slowly started to remove her clothing. Tears fell down her face as the male quinari laid her down on the bed. Nia saw the glint of daggers laying on the bedside table and then noticed the sinister grin on her master's face._

" _You know what will happen if you fight back again my scarred beauty." His fingers trailed over her many scars but his lips traveled along the first scar he had given her, "You remember the first night I brought you to my room do you not?"_

" _Yes master I do." A shiver of disgust traveled down her spine as his lips reached the top of her hip._

" _Then you know what I will do if you try to resist what I am going to do with you." More tears fell down her face as he continued._

Time Skip

 _Her body felt sore as she tried to move away from the arms holding her in place. Her eyes drifted around the room until they landed on the glint of the daggers. Her eyes widened and a slight grin formed on her face. He always had another servant come and remove the daggers while the master was busy with her. Nia slowly began to pry his arms from around her, and then began to slip off the bed as quietly as she could. She quickly ran to the daggers and grasped them tight before a groan escapes her masters mouth. With quick movements, she straddled her master and held one dagger to his throat while the other was I in between his legs. His eyes shot open and a growl came out of his throat._

" _What is the meaning of this?! Get off me at once!" Nia smiled and pressed the dagger further into the skin of his neck._

" _How about I show you just what I've been dreaming of doing to you since that first night." He began to yell at her again but all that could be heard was a gurgle, "Now you have no control of my body and your daggers have found a new home." Blood spurted from his neck and groin area and splashed onto her body. As the light left his eyes and his body stopped moving Nia jumped off of him, grabbed clothing, threw it on, hid the daggers, and left the room. As she came around a corner she realized why the daggers hadn't been removed. The castle was under siege, but by who she could not tell._

" _You servant! Find a weapon and help protect the master"_

" _That master is dead." The guard then noticed the blood seeping through her clothing. He then lifted his weapon and swung as Nia. She quickly side stepped and rammed a dagger into the opening between his helmet and chest armor. At the same time an axe cut through the air and lodged itself into the guards spine. Nia moved her eyes from the axe to the very large quinari walking in her direction._

" _Did I hear you correctly? The master is dead? None of my people have gotten up there."_

" _Oh yes he is very dead. I made sure to cut right through both jugulars." Nia pulled the dagger from the dead guards neck. The quinari looked Nia up and down seeming to notice all of the scars littered across her body._

" _Well since he is done for I guess all that is left would be the guards." He grabbed his axe and began to walk off. Nia frowned and began to follow after him._

" _Wait, could I come with you? I'm not quite sure where I am nor if there is anything I can do outside of these walls." He glanced at Nia again before motioning her closer._

" _How long have you been trapped with this quinari?" She looked around confused._

" _To be honest I do not remember ever being somewhere else." A frown rested on his face but he nodded._

" _As long as you are okay being around another male quinari…" Nia looked into his eyes and game him a shaky smile._

" _I need to move on with my life. I can't let one quinari male ruin me, but please give me some time to become accostimed to you. Especially at night if you do not mind." The quinari smiled and nodded._

" _Welcome to the chargers, Ms.?"_

" _Nia, my name is just Nia."_

" _Well just Nia, my name is Iron Bull."_

Present time (Bulls POV)

As tears fell down Nia's face Bull pulled her closer to his body so her head rested on his shoulder.

"Nia, why did you wait so long to tell me? I wish I had gotten that contract sooner."

"I wanted you to see me as a strong quinari woman. Not someone who had let all of that happen for so many years before being able to do something about it." Bull wiped some of the tears from her face before giving her forehead a light peck.

"Nia you surviving that long even with that type of things that were done to you shows how strong you really are." Nia sniffed before hugging Bull closer to her.

'If only I had gotten to that damn mansion sooner for her sake.' He felt her body go limper in his hold and her breathing slow down.

"Good night Nia, please sleep well. I will be here when you wake up."

Nia's POV

Nia's eye slowly opened but she noticed she wasn't alone in her bed. She began to panic slightly until she remembered last night and saw Bull's tattoo under her cheek. A slight smile formed on her face and she laid her head back onto his shoulder.

"Did you get some sleep Nia?" She nodded her head while Bull's hand came up to play with her hair, "I'm sorry I just let you go instead of sitting down and just talking about everything."  
"Bull I know you well enough to know why you did plus I also thought it was what was best." Bull hugged her closer to his chest.

"What do you think you are unable to give me Nia?" She cuddled into his arm before speaking.

"Intimacy, a family, many soundless nights, and scar less skin."

"Nia we can work into the intimacy as we go. I mean we are cuddling right now and that's slightly intimate. I know you mean the more in depth displays of intimacy but we will get there. I'm not going to force you into something you are not comfortable with. We are already a family my dear and children either will or won't happen for us." Bull pulled her up so he could look into her eyes, "As for the scar less skin, you should know it just shows your strength. It also gives me things to kiss hoping to rid you of your past pain. Not to mention I plan to be the one you wake up to when you're scared to help show that it will not be happening again." Bull slowly leaned towards her and placed a kiss on her lips. As he began to pull away Nia pulled him back into a heated kiss. After a few moments, she pulled away and rested her forehead against his.

"I never would have thought I would get to hear you say those words." Bull smiled and let out a small chuckle.

"To be honest I've never said anything like that before but you bring out a different me. I care so much for you Nia." Bull pulled her in for another kiss before they both laid back down.

"Let's get some rest Bull, we do need to leave for Storms Coast tomorrow morning." He gave a nod before they curled around each other and fell asleep.

Time skip (3 years later)

Bull smiled as he saw Nia open the bedroom door to welcome him home after his trip to visit their friends. Bull instantly wrapped his arms around his wife's waist resting his hands on her swollen stomach.

"How are my girls?" Nia giggled before resting her hands on his.

"You're still so sure this one will be a girl too?"

"Well I was right the first time wasn't I? Speaking of where is the little monster?" Nia nodded towards their bedroom.

"Ilia wore herself out waiting for her daddy to come home." While still holding onto his wife Bull walked them towards their room. As they entered the room they could hear the small snores of their two year old daughter. Bull smiled and walked towards the bed.

"I'm sure both of our little ones have tired out their mom do lets get some rest while we still can love." Nia smiled as Bull let go of her to gently pick up Ilia and place her in the middle of their bed. After Bull was settled with Ilia, Nia climbed into the bed. Bull then reached out with his arm so he was able to hold both of his girls in his arms. He gave his wife a gentle but loving kiss before they both began to fall asleep.

"Bull, I'm glad you came for me all those nights ago. You have given me so much that I thought I had lost" Bull smiled sleepily but gave his wife another loving kiss.

 _Fin_


End file.
